I was hooked from the first page and enjoyed getting into this story and romance, it was engaging and enjoyed the realism of it. Alissa DeRogatis was able to create the overall atmosphere that I was wanting and enjoyed from this genre and I cared about Ainsley and Lucas. It took me on a rollercoaster of emotions and was so well written that I was hooked the whole way through.

Alissa DeRogatis stands out from the crowd as an author with a unique gift: she writes characters who are so deeply relatable that it doesn’t matter if you’ve never found yourself in a similar situation to them - you can connect with their emotions, their challenges, and their growth. As a fan of her debut Call It What You Want, I was delighted to read an eARC of How to Find Love in the Cereal Aisle. Here are a few of my favorite things about this book:
- The witty social commentary that Alissa inserts into her scene setting in unmatched. I’d have to pause and think to myself, wait, how does she know exactly what going out while being active on Hinge feels like? Is she in my brain? My city?
- The pacing of Ainsley’s story, both past and present. It was powerful to read how the experiences of her past relationship were influencing her present, and the work it took to overcome past fears to find new love.
- The realistic happily ever after, because let’s be honest - sometimes we read romance for a full escape from reality, but life isn’t all Prince Charmings or billionaires swooping in to sweep us off of our feet. Sometimes love really is found in the cereal aisle, or somewhere equally simple. And while happily ever after isn’t a 100% guarantee, finding someone who will choose you time and time again is definitely a beautiful possibility.

Bonus: the awesome local bookstore Easter eggs throughout the book!

This book waged Emotional War™ on my Feelings™, and I require one billion dollars in Damages™

What a beautiful book.